The gentile sinner, or, Englands brave gentleman characterized in a letter to a friend both as he is and as he should be.

§. 2. An Enquiry into the more Civill sort of our English Gentlemen.

But let us look upon our Gentlemen in a more sober Posture; though, I am afraid they will take it as an Injury done them, to consider them thus abstractedly from the highest degree of Debauchery: take away their Pot and their Pipe, and you rob the most of them, of the most delightsome method they know, of spending their time, which is such a trouble to them. This is it, which is their burthen, and their disease, that as the Stag with the Arrow in his side, they run, and shift, and throw themselves about from place to place, and are alwaies mad to be

rid on't; 'till the sad moment appear where∣in they are call'd out of the world, and then their time and life, both equally desired, va∣nish together. This wasting of their time, they esteem a thing so innocent in it selfe, that they seem to apprehend a Goodnesse in it, great enough to make them a pretence for all their other vices, and sinfull employ∣ments, shrouding them all under the ge∣nerally approved names of Necessary Passe∣times and diversions. Cards, or Dice, Bow∣ling or Hunting, or Fidling, or any thing that has but a Motion in it to delude the tediousnesse of their Houres; shall be wel∣come to them, and thought to be things not onely Harmelesse and Honest, but as in∣vented to this good end of passing away the time, things desireable by most, and very Commendable in a Gentleman. In these they merrily spend, both their Nights and their Daies, their livelihoods and the greatest part of their lives; whilest the poor neglected Soul all this while, cannot be allowed so much as halfe an hour's time in the Morning, by her Devotions, and viewing her face in the Glasse of God's word, to dresse her selfe for Heaven.

Into how many Gentlemen's Families shall you come, where they do not ordinari∣ly by sleeping out all the Morning, make it night till noone? They rise from their Beds just so Early as their Dinners may prevent their Devotions: When they are thus removed from Bed to Board, they feed there their Lusts better then their Bo∣dies, and yet their Bodies more then their Soules. The table is the Altar where they Sacrifice their Healths to their Appetites; and Temperance to Luxury. They chuse their meat, by it's Cost and rarity, not use and wholsomnesse; and it is too true a Pro∣verb, that what's farre fetch'd and dear bought, is meat for Gentlemen. After they have thus satiated for a while their lusts, and gratified the Delicacy of their Pallates, they must sit out an houre's Impertinent and Idle tattle to digest their excesse: when they have done this, they are ready for another Nap, and that prepares them for another meal, except the Taverne or their Game pre∣vent it.

If they chance to hear of some Pamphlet, Libell or Pasquill, wherein some honest name is a sufferer, or where Chastity is put to

doe penance in an obscene sheet; any piece of Drollery, or wanton Ballad upon a Mistresse, a New Romance or a Play, presently the Newes of it is dispatch'd from one to ano∣ther, these shall be read and ponder'd over and over, and be their Discourse and Passe∣time at every meeting▪ For mine own part it hath very rarely been my Fortune to meet with a Club of Gentlemen, but as of∣ten as I have, I have been frighted out of it again, or have had good Cause to repent me afterwards; that I was not so, by that wild kind of behaviour, and loosenesse of talk I heard or saw amongst them. The best of their talk at any meeting, is but to aske and impart the Newes then stirring, or to give their judgments of the Ladies and the Fashi∣ons of the times; to find fault with their own Taylors, or to commend another's; to Droll out the time, or vie Wits by abusing each other, but every man most of all him∣selfe. If any man in the Company can (and there be not many that can do so much) by some slight probleme, make a shift to pose his fellowes; he thinks he has done wonders, and has sufficiently vindi∣cated his credit from the imputation of Ig∣norance

or Idlenesse for ever.

Alas (Sir) what is it that even the Prime of our Gentlemen pride themselves in? even they whom we are prone to esteem highly; and stile Civill and Ingeniaus persons•• what but a little vain and Glittering Apparell? and hee's the Compleatest Gentlem••n for the most part, who wears the best suit, and shines most in a tinsell bravery. Who is thought the man of the highest inward ac∣complishments, but he that can talk volubly of the Customes▪ and vices of the Court, or that which is most like it now there is none? He that can tell you how much he is cour∣ted by the Ladies, and how much he is in favour with our Great Folks. He that can expresse himsele modishly in a Complement, that can speak much, and dance well; and hand his Lady with the greatest grace along the streets; these are the brave Gentlemen that are every where cry'd up as they go for Gallant and well accomplish'd persons. Or if you would goe higher yet, then he must be the man, that has laden his Memory with a few broaken Ends and Chippings of Hi∣story; or can tell you strange stories of the fashions and Customes of other Nations,

and tell you where he has been, and what rarities he has seen; and at once perhaps both discommend and practice their vices. Or if he be yet a more through Schollar, and generally acquainted both with books and men, so farre as to applaud and Censure and talk Skeptically: If he be an exquisite Mathematician, or Musician, or the like; We think we have reason enough to sup∣pose him company for the best; and cer∣tainly he were so, would he but labour to be one of them, when he is amongst them. But, alas, what's become of his God and his Religion all•• this while? If you can find a little of either in his Discourse, 'tis much, though there be just nothing of them in his life: All those other accomplishments were truly commendable, were they thus accom∣panied, but not being so (alas) they are stark naught.

Let us passe on to those who are thought by many the most Sober and serious persons of all others, and even amongst these (I fear) we shall find too many, on whom we can onely bestow this poor Commendation, that they are more Grav••ly wicked, more Cautiously sinfull, and more Soberly Atheisti∣call.

Such are the men, who (as I have told you before) flatter themselves up in a kind of Negative Iustice; and thereby with those whose persons and estates, they have not actively violated or diminished, are esteem'd persons of much worth and Ho∣nour; and yet these are no better then the tamer sort of Sathans servants, whom by a long usage he has made somewhat lesse wanton, and brought up to his hand; and has taught them to Cozen and Dissemble almost as well as himselfe. I need not tell any affectionate Son of the Distressed Church of England, how good friends and servants, these Good, Honest, Civill, Sober and prudent men have all along been to his poor Mo∣ther: How many of them have quietly stood by, and look'd on, if with no delight, yet (I am sure) with a great deal of unwor∣thy patience, and base C••nnivance, whilest she has been mercilesly torne in pieces, by the cruel teeth of those raveneus beasts, which pretend••d to watch and defend her: and yet not so much as an Arrow shot out of any other Quiver then their mouths in a Chimney-Corner, against any of them. Whilest the Younger Gentlemen want true

Prudence, and the old have too much of that they miscall so, they all prove very bad Souldiers, for such as pretend to fight under Christ's Banner, and on the behalfe of his Church; which truly now if ever may be call'd truly Militant, and that too for want of Good Souldiers. If our English Gentle∣men be made to stay for, and expect their Honours till they shall be knighted in the field for that Good service which they have done the Church of which they would be thought Members; It will I fear be a sad and unwelcome sword must Dub them.

It is too plainly apparent, that very few of them have so much reall Honour, as may make them sensible how they lose it. For if they had, could you Imagine it Possible, that so many Horrid Murthers and rapines, so many incredible Treasons and Blasphemies, such as their Posterity will not find faith e∣nough to believe, should be thus openly acted and frequently vented even in their faces; and not a man so much as move his hand to revenge what's past, or prevent what's to come? Nay how often have the greatest part of them, by a base Compliance with those men who have allwaies struck at the

very root of that Religion, which they so so∣lemnly (some of them more then once) swore to defend, given themselves not onely the lie, but t••e perjury? Alas, their Ho∣••ours are so jaded by drawing after them the Dung-Carts of their estates, that they now brook any rider whatsoever. Had but one ••enth part of all those vast summes of Money, and those many excellent parts, which these s••pposed Good-husbands, have prodigally la∣vih'd out in the Taverne or at their Game, be••n put to that good use it might have been, The Church might have received her own with usury; England might yet have had the face of England, and they deserved the Name of Gentlemen.